Student Loan Application - Dont Live @ Home

MattT_2

Happy Easter!:D

I've just applied for my 3rd year student loan and am having some worries... I'm on a 4 year course and am on the old loans system (I still pay about £1100 fee's, not £3000).

Some background, just after i started at university my parents separated and moved apart. My mum bought a house and my dad is renting (and still is). My mum moved with my brother and sister.
In this move I lost my room, i dont have a room with either my mum or dad, but for the ease of applying for a student loan (as advised to do) i simply filled in my mums details as sponsor info. Because of her low income i received the full student loan amount. This has happened for the last 2 years, and i've been living full time at university.

Anyway, my mums has a new partner who has just moved in. If i include his name on the student loan application then the household income will be pushed right up so that i get minimal support. The issue is that he is a new partner, i dont know him very well, he doesnt contribute to the running of the house, and i'm sure he wont contribute to my university expenses.

I've looked into applying as an independent student, but i didnt live away from home before starting uni, only since starting. What can i do!?

The real issue is that I don't live with either of my parents and do not rely on them for financial support, but yet i have to put sponsor info down on the application. I want to be classed as an independent student because i am one!!!

Any advice? Thanks very much, Matt

DjSatansfury

might be wrong, but the parent who you dont live with, shouldnt effect your income. Nor should a partner, as end of the day, you arnt they child.

Thats how it used to work (iirc) before they changed the system anyway.

saver2006

im pretty sure this new partner doesnt count when calculating parental contribution- you should be fine

Compound_2

The system was changed, I believe for students starting from 2004, to include partners of parents. I agree this is silly, but it is an improvement on the previous system where students were disadvantaged if their parents stayed together. The only just assessment would be to count the income of both natural parents, regardless of if they live together.

DrFluffy

DjSatansfury wrote: »

might be wrong, but the parent who you dont live with, shouldnt effect your income. Nor should a partner, as end of the day, you arnt they child.

System was changed a couple of years back...

DrFluffy

Compound wrote: »

The system was changed, I believe for students starting from 2004, to include partners of parents. I agree this is silly, but it is an improvement on the previous system where students were disadvantaged if their parents stayed together. The only just assessment would be to count the income of both natural parents, regardless of if they live together.

I'm not so sure it is silly - it's not fair in the OPs case, but I know a LOT of my friends from my first degree (who were extreamly well off as a result of their mums 'new' partner funding them) got full grants (yes that long ago!), while people who actually had need got very little...

I agree that where a 'new' partner is acting locus parentis, then they are fair game, but when one of your parents is just starting out with someone new, it's the sort of pressure no relationship needs, and nor does it generally tend to help the student at the heart of it all...

DjSatansfury

DrFluffy wrote: »

System was changed a couple of years back...

Thats why i said this was the case before the system changed...

KizzyK_2

Hi

I don't know how this would apply to you as your in your 3rd year but to be classed as an 'independent student' and get the grants etc that come with it, you have to have supported yourself for 3 years.

I will have supported myself for 2 years by the time I start uni, darn typical :rolleyes:

busiscoming2

Hi Ive just been reading the notes that come with application (for my daughter) I think your mums new partner will count. Could you not use grandparents address as their income doesnt count and say you are estranged from your parents. Read the notes - I think you may get away with this.

DrFluffy

DjSatansfury wrote: »

Thats why i said this was the case before the system changed...

No - it was changed before the switch in system to capped fees...